The Bush Declaration is a document signed by 34 duly elected citizens in Harford County, Maryland on March 22, 1775. At that time the county seat was Harford Town, or Bush (so named for its location in the "bush country" as compared to most colonial towns on the waterfront, that is, Chesapeake Bay). Harford County had been separated from Baltimore County just a year earlier and in the interim there was considerable patriotic fervor against the British and their blockade of Boston (and other problems, like taxation). This committee in Harford County decided to show their support for Boston and their disdain for King George by signing this document "at the risque of their lives and fortunes." It has been characterized as the first Declaration of Independence and was signed just three weeks prior to the Battles of Lexington and Concord which signaled the beginning of the American Revolution.

"We the Committee of Harford County, having most seriously and maturely considered the Resolves and Association of the Continental Congress, and the Resolves of the Provincial Convention, do most heartily approve of the same, and as we esteem ourselves in a more particular manner, intrusted by our constituents to see them carried into execution, we do most solemnly pledge ourselves to each other, and to our Country, and engage ourselves by every tie held sacred among mankind to perform the same at the risque of our lives and fortunes."

The Signers

A critical prerequisite to membership in the Hereditary Order of the Signers of the Bush Declaration is proof of a relationship within the second degree of kinship to one of the original signers. To help prospective members identify this kinship, we have detailed here genealogical information arduously researched by current members.

We have also included an interactive learning tool using an image of all thirty-four signers. The mural was done by Marion Butler Ewald in 1934 (nearly 160 years after the signing). It depicts each of the 34 signers as they discussed the merits of the declaration. The mural is currently on display in the Harford County Circuit Courthouse in Bel Air, Maryland.

Note: the interactive elements of the image below is only accurate on larger screens, and will not work correctly on tablets or smart phones.

Note: the interactive elements of the image below is only accurate on larger screens, and will not work correctly on tablets or smart phones.

Note: the interactive elements of the image below is only accurate on larger, desktop screens, and will not work correctly on tablets or smart phones.

Hover over each individual in the mural to see more details.

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Genealogical Relationships

Ancestral and Historical Information About Each Signer

The following is an alphabetical list of the signers with their corresponding ancestral
record. You can enter the signers last name in the box below to narrow the list, or scroll
down the page to view details about all 34 individuals. Please note that ages listed at
the time of signing the declaration are approximate.

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About Us

The Hereditary Order of the Signers of the Bush Declaration (HOSBD) is dedicated
to honoring the Signers of the Bush Declaration through education about this historical document, and the men who signed it.

Foundation

In the year 2002 a chapter of the Children of the American Revolution was formed in Harford County, Maryland and named the Bush Declaration Society.
It soon became apparent that there was no organization in existence to honor the actual Signers of the Bush Declaration on March 22, 1775.
Nearly 229 years after the signing of the Bush Declaration, in March 2004, Christopher T. Smithson and Henry C. Peden, Jr. decided to organize
such a society, and recruited J. Andrew Calwell and William P. Smithson, fellow members of the Col. Aquila Hall Chapter, Sons of the American
Revolution, to work with them on this project.

On June 4, 2004 The Hereditary Order of the Signers of the Bush Declaration was founded.

Catherine Wylie Hopkins Taylor Schafer

b. 27 Feb 1914 Port Deposit, MDd. 11 Jan 2011, San Diego, CA

The effort to create this site was done in loving memory of Catherine Wylie Hopkins (Taylor)
Schafer.
Catsy devoted her life to genealogical research and was an
ardent supporter of HOSBD.
Her passion for ancestry was second only to her faith, love of family, and devotion to country.